Paris: Paris Saint-Germain secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win.
Despite Arsenal’s determined efforts to overturn the tie, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma repeatedly denied their advances with a series of crucial saves.
Although Arsenal had struggled against PSG’s three-man midfield in the first leg, Mikel Arteta’s squad arrived in Paris with clear intent to reverse their previous defeat, reports Xinhua.
The game was barely a minute old when Jurrien Timber crossed for Declan Rice to head just wide.
Arsenal pressed high up the field, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli actively challenging PSG’s defence. Martinelli nearly converted Thomas Partey’s long throw, forcing Donnarumma into his first major save of the night.
The Italian goalkeeper delivered an even more spectacular stop in the seventh minute when another Partey long throw found Martin Ødegaard, whose powerful low shot seemed destined for the net—until Donnarumma reacted swiftly to block it.
Arsenal pushed forward aggressively, creating opportunities for the home side to counter. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came close to scoring, striking the post before Fabian Ruiz broke the deadlock in the 27th minute.
The midfielder latched onto Partey's headed clearance from a free kick to control it on his chest and lashed home a powerful volley that deflected off William Saliba.
Arsenal nearly conceded again when Kvaratskhelia initiated another break, setting up Desire Doue, who failed to convert, sending a tame shot straight at goalkeeper David Raya.
PSG began the second half with intensity, but Bukayo Saka soon made his presence felt, delivering a deflected cross and a curling shot that forced another impressive save from Donnarumma.
Vitinha had the chance to secure PSG’s victory from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, following a VAR-detected handball by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Attempting to deceive Raya with a hop-skip-and-jump run-up, Vitinha saw his weak effort blocked by the goalkeeper.
Arsenal’s reprieve was short-lived, as Achraf Hakimi struck low into the side of the net in the 72nd minute, capitalising on Arsenal’s failure to clear the ball in the area.
Four minutes later, Saka pulled one back for Arsenal, bundling home a cross from Leandro Trossard, but PSG remained resolute to secure the win.
Qualification is a personal triumph for former Spain boss Luis Enrique, who saw his side lose Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the summer but has won Ligue 1 and now reached the Champions League final for the second time in PSG's history.
(inputs from IANS)